Jace the Elemental

The walk back to his dorm room felt like it was in slow motion. He kept replaying what Lord Severian had said, his mind turning over every word. It felt like there was something else going on behind the scenes, something he didn't understand. But he was sure of one thing, if he kept pushing forward, eventually, he'd uncover the truth.

For now, he just had to focus on getting stronger, both for himself and his team. That thought led him to another consideration, should he tell them about his technique to improve mana capacity? He doubted everyone would be willing to go through with it.

Arriving at his dorm building, he went straight to his room, stepping inside and collapsing onto his bed. His body ached from training, his muscles burning with every breath. Combined with the weight of his conversation with Lord Severian, both his mind and body were completely drained.

But every time he questioned if it was worth it, Elizabeth's words came roaring back into his head. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind teetering between exhaustion and restless thought.

Lyra would definitely do it. The scars on her arms proved she was no stranger to pain, and she was just as stubborn as he was, always looking for a way to improve.

Aurora would do it too. If she had started dueling at eight years old just to get stronger, she wouldn't hesitate.

Ethan… maybe. They had talked about it before, and he hadn't been interested. But now, things had changed.

As for the others, he wasn't sure. All he could do was tell them and see where it went from there. But one thing was clear, if he wanted the reward Lord Severian promised, he had to ensure they stayed at Rank 1.

His thoughts churned as exhaustion crept over him. His body refused to move, sinking deeper into the mattress. His mind slowed, his vision blurring into darkness as his eyes drifted shut.

Then, the darkness shifted.

It started as a feeling, something cold pressing against his skin, a distant familiar hum vibrating through the air. His mind, sluggish and unfocused, tried to place it. He had just been in his room…hadn't he? But the bed beneath him was gone.

The air around him thickened, heavy with an unnatural stillness. A distant whisper echoed, words he couldn't quite make out, from a voice he couldn't quite recognize, slipping through his thoughts like water through cupped hands.

Then came the light. Dim and hazy, casting long shadows against a wooden floor.

Jace's breath hitched as he realized he was standing now, his feet bare against the cold planks. The walls around him stretched high into the darkness, twisting and shifting as if alive. The whispers grew louder, circling him, until a single voice cut through the chatter.

"Well, well, well. What have I found?"

The voice was strange and unnatural, constantly shifting in tone and pitch, as if it couldn't decide what it was supposed to sound like.

"Such a magical little creature I've found," it mused. The combination of the shifting walls and the voice made Jace's knees buckle. He collapsed onto the cold floor, his head swimming.

"Don't worry, child. You need not fear me. I am simply wandering through the dreams of the exhausted minds."

The voice finally took shape. Or rather, the presence behind it did, a twisting, whirling mass, smooth and edgeless, a whirlpool of shifting colors.

"I can see that my presence is causing too much strain on you," the entity said. Strangely, Jace could feel the care and concern in its voice, even through the shifting tones. "We may meet again, child. But for now, rest."

The voice faded, taking the moving walls and gnawing whispers with it.

As everything faded, Jace's mind sank into pure darkness. He fell into the deepest sleep he had ever experienced, barely waking to the sound of his alarm.

Rolling over to silence it, he froze. His entire body felt incredible, like he had been resting for years. But beyond that, there was something else, something inside him. A tiny ball of energy, nestled beside his mana.

"What is that?" he murmured, turning his focus inward.

The energy felt similar to mana, yet different. As he probed it, he could tell it was incomplete, like it was missing something, reaching out to be made whole.

Jace shook his head, trying to make sense of it. "What happened last night? And what was that dream?"

He struggled to recall the specifics, but the memory was a hazy mess. Whatever had happened in that dream, it had left something behind.